Professional Documents
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AUSMAT at MCKL
Human Biology
Year 2017
Name:Angeline
WACE ID:
Introduction
A reflex is a automatic response mediated by the nervous system that does not need intervention of
conscious thought to take effect. A reflex requires a stimulus to be activated, whether it be a hot pan or
an incoming ball. The stimulus is detected by one of our sensory organs. The response to stimuli takes
effect mere seconds after the stimulus is sensed. The reflex takes place very fast. Another property of
stereotyped response.Moreover, reflexes are important to ensure the survival of our species as it enables
The purpose of procedure A is to explore the relationship between the presence of the light source or the
incoming tip of the napkin and the response of the subject. When the tip of the napkin approaches the
eye, the eye will blink. When the light source is shone on the eye, the pupil will become smaller.
The purpose of the procedure B is to explore whether the condition of the subject impacts the reaction
time of subject. The fastest reaction time is when the subject had he/her eyes closed. The independent
variable of this experiment is condition of subject; the dependent variable of this experiment is reaction
time of subject; as measured by the formula t= 2h/g , whereby h is the height at which the ruler was
Discussion of Procedure A
When investigating the first innate reflex, the subject blinked before the tip of the napkin could touch the
cornea of the eye. This reflex is essential for our survival because it prevents foreign substances from
entering the eye. Without this reflex, the eye could easily be infected or injured.
On the other hand, when investigating the second innate reflex, the subject's pupil became smaller when
light was shone on it. This is important for our survival because it decreases light sensitivity of the eye,
therefore allowing us to see properly. If this reflex did not work properly, we would not be able to see
properly because there might be too much light or too little light in the environment to produce a clear
image.
Discussion of Procedure B
An innate reflex is a natural unlearned response to a stimulus, for example the pupil resizing in
adjustment to light. On the contrary, a learned reflex is association related. For example, beginning to
The repetition of the experiment increased the reliability of the data. Each condition was tested five
times to get a more reliable result. The validity of the experiment can be improved if the experimenter
collected data based on the characteristics of the subjects such as age group and gender so that the
When the subject was reciting the alphabets backwards, the reaction time of the subject was slower. This
is because the subject was concentrating on something else and was too preoccupied to focus on
catching the ruler. Based on this observation, it is evidently a bad idea to talk on your cell-phone while
driving because this will slow down the reaction time of the driver. The driver will be too preoccupied
Moreover, when the subject had his/her eyes closed, the reaction time was faster. This is because the
subject was able to feel the ruler be dropped. The act of the closing his/her eyes enabled the subject to
shut out all other senses, making it easier for the subject to concentrate on one sense, touch. This is why
a blind person is able to maintain their reaction time, despite their blindness.
Conclusion
Experiment A shows that the subject carried out a reflex when confronted with a stimulus. The subject
blinked his/her eyes when the tip of the napkin approached it. Other than that, the subject's pupil became
smaller when a light source was shone on it. The hypothesis is accepted.
As for Experiment B, the fastest reaction time was when the subject's eyes were open and were not